More than 300 high-school band students from across #Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida will come to the University of Southern Mississippi to perform alongside the university's Pride of Mississippi Marching Band during All-South Marching Band Day.
Photo by University of Southern Mississippi

The National Science Foundation recently awarded $4 million to Jackson State University and eight other Mississippi higher-education institutions that are part of the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation.

The LSMAMP is named in honor of the late Louis Stokes, who passed away on Aug. 18, 2015, at age 90. Stokes was a United States congressman who represented Ohio from 1969 to 1999, and served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee and the House Ethics Committee.

The LSMAMP works to help minority undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) prepare for graduate school and their chosen fields. The program features research elements, workshops, peer-to-peer mentoring, tutoring and other activities. Full-time STEM majors at JSU become eligible after completing their first semester and must maintain a 3.0 or greater grade point average to remain in the program.

JSU is the lead institution in the LSMAMP. The other participating colleges and universities are Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Hinds Community College, Mississippi State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Tougaloo College, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.

The University of Southern Mississippi will host All-South Marching Band Day on Saturday, Sept. 8. More than 300 high-school band students from across Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida will come to USM to perform alongside the university's Pride of Mississippi Marching Band during its homecoming football game against the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

All-South Marching Band Day will begin with a rehearsal at USM's Pride Field at 1 p.m. and a second rehearsal in Bennett Auditorium at 3 p.m. The homecoming game will be at 6 p.m. at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Participating students will play alongside Pride of Mississippi in the stands during the game and will perform on the field during the halftime show at 7:45 p.m.

The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band started in 1920 as a 20-piece brass ensemble and has grown to include more than 300 musicians. The band has played at events such as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's inaugural parade in 1933, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2010 and the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, in 2015.

The University of Mississippi Department of Theatre and Film recently announced the launch of the inaugural One-Minute Film Competition. The competition is free to enter and is open to high-school students, current and former UM students, and current faculty and staff.

The contest features separate high-school and university categories, and winners receive cash prizes and the opportunity to screen their films during the UM Film Festival, which takes place in UM's Fulton Chapel on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13.

Harrison Witt, assistant professor of film production at UM, proposed the competition after conducting a one-minute film project with his students. He will serve on a panel of judges for the competition, along with Sarah Hennigan, a fellow assistant professor of film production, and Alan Arrivee, associate professor of film.

Film entries must be under 60 seconds in length, including titles and credits, and can be narrative, documentary, experimental or promotional. All entries must have been completed after Jan. 1, 2018. UM is accepting submissions through Sept. 21.